Working with form design

As with table or query design, you are able to use Data View and Design View. Form design is performed in Design View. We will often refer to the form design window as the Form Designer.

To create a new empty form, select Form from the Create tab. Optionally, you can use the Create Object: Form command from drop-down button on the Project Navigator's toolbar or Create Object: Form command from the context menu of the Project Navigator.

A new frame will appear, you can resize the form by moving the borders. The form is covered with a grid which simplifies accurate positioning of the widgets.

As with table design, the Form Designer provides a Property Editor pane on the right. The pane has three tabs related to the currently selected form:

The Properties tab

Contains a list of properties for the currently selected widget.

The Data source tab

Contains properties related specifically to the data source of the currently selected widget or the form itself.

The Widgets tab

Contains a tree hierarchy of all widgets on the form. The list simplifies widgets lookup by name and clicking on the tree provides navigation to the selected item on the form iteself.

Information about the currently selected widget's name and type is displayed on the first and second tab.

Additional toolbars are also available:

The Widgets toolbar is used to select new widgets for insertion into the form. Select the Form Design tab to display it.